Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-04-01
TOMBS NEAR POMpEII.
INTERESTING ACCOUNT OF A VERY
RECENT DISCOVERY.

revealed the existence OF the ancient city OF
llcrculaneum beneath the modern towns
of Rosini and Portici. The same opera
ton on the part of the owner of n vine
yard situated some distance TO the east Of
the amphitheatre OF pompcii led 70 the
discovery, about six weeks ago, OF street
OF tombs running in n direct line from
Pompeii TO Nocera. Taking advantage of
the visit OF an archaeological friend of
mine, who had just returned from sci.
entiiic tour TO Pergamon, l accompanied
him and Professor Sagliano, directors Of
the excavations, TO visit the newly discov-
cred ruins.
The little space at present dug ont has
brought 10 light, deep below the surface
OF the ground, tolcrably vice and well
made ancient road, Of kind Of macadam
construction, slightly arched in the center
so as To allow the rain water to run off,
and with low earthly bank on either
side, on the top Of which are the seven
| tombs recently excayated, four on ono
| side and three on the other This road
runs nearly due east in the direction from
Pompeii to Nocera, the portion now ex-
| cavated lying about 900 feet from the
| Pompeiian amphitheatre, and it IS sup
| posed that when il is all excavated back
| 10 Pompeii n city gate viii be found Mt its
| commencement. Ii is Also not improbable
that near the city il will be found e. bc
paved with lava, like the celebrated street
Of Tombs on the western side.
UNDER PUMIcE STONES.
Should the whole be found to be as
closely lined with tombs as is the portion
laid bare, it will be one of the most inn
portant discoveries lately made i'm this
part of the world. Unfortunately money
is wanting and the excavation is going on
butslowly. The ancient level Of the street
being here very low, the road is first GOV
cred 10 the depth of ten or fifteen feet
with pumice stones elected from Ncsrvius
during the great eruption of 1872 Then
comes thin layer of ashes; then AGAIN a
stratum Of punice about ten inches thick,
another thin line of ashes, and over ell
earth several feet deep. Just below this
upper earth were found seven large stat
ues, which had evidently surmounted tho
tombs beneath. On the road itself can be
seen the slight dcprcssions or ruts caused
by the wheels of passing vehicles. The
tombs are erected on n straight line on
either side, and where one is set rather
back it has low stone baustrade, which
keeps the line and extends beyond the
tomb, probably inclosing q space pur-
chased for subsequent to.lhs, and then
the next tomb is again built forward on
the original line. Thus this little pori ion
OF excavated street has neat and sym
mctrical appearance.
The first tomb eXcavated, being the one
nearest TO Pompeii on the north side Of
the road, is covered with rude inscriD-
tons painted in red, one Of which Is no-
table; il is an advertisement apprising the
hN that n r1tn hove, no.
found of such size and color, and that
the owner may have it by applying TO a
smith from Nocera, ut the bridge over tho
Sarno, toward Stabin. In fact, such in
scriptions are found on all the tolnbs,
which have evidently served rs pubic
newspaper on the thickly frcQuented road.
There are besides many graphites. One
person has scratched his name. with the
word Remember beneath In one the
letter Y is very interesting from the fact
that it is marked with dot in the fork Of
the V, which is a reminiscence Of the Os-
can character.
THE INSCRIPTIONS
Nearly all the rudely traced inscriptions
(which of course have nothing to do with
the true inscriptions on marble slabs, that
denote the tame and qualities Of tho de-
ceasedD relate 10 Nocera, showing the in
fluence of that neighboriug town on Pom
pei. One of the marble inscriptions gives
TO NOcera the surname Of Consttutia, in
relation 10 its faithfulness--a surname. ]
believe, seen here in this connection for
the first time One of the tonbs had been
surmounted on its four corners with stone
pineapples, interesting az suggestive OF
this style OF decoration Us noticed in the
immense single pineapple said 10 have
crowned Iladrian's tomb i'm Rome. Ii is
curious that in the inches of ono OF the
tombs stand two small headstoles in
stead of urns.
The statues, cinerary urns. loose marble
tablets, skulls and bones have been de
posted in the room of country cottage
hard by, all except one statue. which lies
prone upon the ground near the eXcGva-
ton, and serves, by n string passed round
its neck, 10 hold fast the end Of a ragged
canvas stretched on small tree as
shelter from the SUM mental Office TO
which, no doubt, the man who was OF suf-
ficient consideration To have n statue
never dreamed that his ciliyy would be
degraded. The full length statues are all
portraits, and evidently very good ones,
for each Of the faces is highly character
istic. One elderly male figure has a fine
'ANtt't ttA'a iaiphtii VI aNkNlltI
Is handsome young man Of Grecign
type; one is a dignihed, old woman, grave
with years and honors, with deep lines at
the corners Of the very peculiar and firmly
pressed lips and style of dressing the
hair which reminds one Of the statues of
Livia. Then there are, besides, middle
aged and n young woman OF smoother
countenanccs, the latter with small, rather
pointed and pinched features On the
hair of one Of the male statues there are
traces Of color, and as the figures are
sculptured rather roughly In stone the
style resembling that Of Capua, it is pos
sible that the whole figure was once GOV
cred with paint. / forgot 10 say that all
the tombs found arc those Of freedmen.-
Naples Cor. London News